Karma and Karmic Superknowledge in the Neutrino-body (Antarā-bhava)

Original text of Volume Nine of the Abhidharmakośa-śāstra: 此中有身。同类相见。若有修得极净天眼。亦能得见。诸生得眼。皆不能观。以极细故。有余师说。天中有眼。具足能见。五趣中有。人鬼傍生地狱中有。见四三二一。谓自下除上。一切通中业通最疾。陵虚自在。是谓通义。通由业得。名为业通。此通势用速故。名疾。中有具得最疾业通。上至世尊。无能遮抑。以业势力。最强盛故。 

Explanation: This passage says that the antarā-bhava (the neutrino-body) is extremely subtle and difficult to see; only beings of the same kind can see it, and only beings who possess an extremely pure divine eye can also see it. Beings with naturally obtained eyes cannot perceive it, because it is extremely subtle. Some teachers say that the divine eye of devas can fully see it. Among the antarā-bhavas of the five destinies—the antarā-bhavas of humans, ghosts, animals, and hell-beings—the higher can see the lower: the deva antarā-bhava sees four, the human sees three, the ghost sees two, and the animal sees one; that is, each can see those below itself but not those above. Among all superknowledges, the karmic superknowledge is the swiftest—moving freely through the air—this is the meaning of "superknowledge." A superknowledge obtained through karma is called karmic superknowledge; because the force and function of this superknowledge is swift, it is called "swift." The antarā-bhava possesses the swiftest karmic superknowledge, and up to and including the World-Honored One, no one can suppress it, because the power of karma is the strongest.

Explanation: This passage says that the antarā-bhava is extremely subtle and hard to see; apart from beings of the same kind, only those with an extremely pure divine eye can see it. The divine eye of devas can see the antarā-bhavas of beings in the other five destinies, while beings without the divine eye cannot see them. Therefore, when a person has died and is in the antarā-bhava, worldly superknowledges cannot see them. Some people speculate that this person has been reborn in the Land of Bliss and so on—all this is nonsense. No one possesses such a pure divine eye; they cannot see the antarā-bhava, let alone see a dead person reborn in the Land of Bliss. 

Among the antarā-bhava's possessions, the power of karma is the strongest and the karmic superknowledge is the greatest. Superknowledge cannot withstand karmic superknowledge; in the face of karmic power, superknowledge is useless. Even all the Buddhas cannot change the karmic superknowledge and karmic power of sentient beings. For example, Mahāmaudgalyāyana's superknowledge was vast and boundless, yet when he died he was beaten into a pulp of flesh. The karmic power of the antarā-bhava is the greatest, and even the Buddha can do nothing about it; the consciousness of a dead person can do even less—mind consciousness has no means whatsoever. And this karmic power and karmic superknowledge correspond to the manas; it is precisely the manas's ignorance or its power of wisdom. Therefore, if one's practice does not reach the manas and cannot change the manas, then a lifetime of cultivation becomes an empty bubble. Even if mind consciousness still exists, it can do nothing at all about the karmic power of the manas. Those who spread the claim that mind consciousness can attain realization and awaken to the true mind—how should they explain themselves at this point? Would it not be better for their mouths to be hung on the wall?